Choose a dimmer with a wattage rating that meets or exceeds the total wattage of all the light bulbs the dimmer will control. For example, if the dimmer controls a fixture with ten 75-watt bulbs, you need a dimmer rated for 750 watts or higher.
Do you need a special dimmer for halogen lights?
All halogen bulbs can be dimmed, and finding a dimmer for halogen bulbs should be easy. Most dimmers are compatible with halogen bulbs. As long as the light and the dimmer are compatible, the bulb will be able to dim to most frequencies — but at the cost of a shorter life.
What dimmers would you use for halogen lights?
Mains halogen bulbs can be dimmed with any standard dimming system or dimmer switch. We recommended that the dimmer should have a 25% higher wattage rating than the fittings to allow for any increased load which can happen when the bulbs are coming to the end of their life.
What size dimmer switch do I need?
You should select a dimmer based upon your wattage requirements. The easiest way to do this is to add up the total wattage of the bulbs you wish to control. For example, a fixture with four 60W bulbs has a total wattage of 240. You can use a 600W dimmer to control this.
Can you use LED dimmer switch with halogen bulbs?
A: Usually yes. The dimmer switch you may have used for your halogen or incandescent bulbs works in a different way to the type needed for LEDs.
Will halogen bulbs work with incandescent dimmer?
Incandescent and halogen light bulbs work well with dimmer switches. However, due to many advances in lighting technology, CFLs and LEDs are catching up and doing a good job, the same as incandescent light bulbs do. When getting bulbs for dimming, be sure that it’s compatible with your switches.
How do you know if a halogen bulb is dimmable?
The package or bulb should say if it’s dimmable and tell you which dimmer switches are compatible. You may get varying results with different CFLs and their compatible dimmers. Sometimes the CFL will only dim down to a certain percentage, about 10-40% of full light levels, before the light cuts off completely.
What does leading edge dimmer mean?
Leading edge dimming cuts of the front edge of each waves’ half cycle. Conversely trailing edge dimming cuts out the second half of each waves’ half cycle. Trailing edge dimmers are now the more popular of the two types.
Do LED lights need a special dimmer switch?
A standard dimmer switch cannot be used with an LED light as you will never be able to dim the LED light either completely or not very well. LED lights need their own special electronic dimmer switch to have a fully functioning and dimming light.
Why do my LED lights flicker on a dimmer switch?
There are many reasons why an LED lamp can flicker, but the most common cause is a lack of resistance in the lamp to allow the dimmer curve to work correctly. This is not a new issue; it’s been around for a long time, but is becoming more “noticeable” with the major increase in LED usage.
What kind of dimmer is needed for LED lights?
Trailing edge dimmers work best with LED light bulbs and leading-edge dimmers work best with traditional incandescent and halogen light bulbs.
How many LED bulbs can you put on a dimmer?
A rule of thumb commonly used to calculate a load for LED dimmers is to divide the stated maximum load by 10. For example a 400W dimmer switch should have no more than 40W of LED bulbs connected to it, which would equate to eight 5W bulbs.
Will dimmable LED bulbs flicker?
When the dimmer switches the power on and off, the glowing metal starts to cool down and the net result is the light dims. There’s no flickering. LED bulbs don’t have glowing filaments.
Why do LED lights buzz when dimmed?
What Causes LED Buzzing? The cause is often a compatibility issue known as em interference (EMI) between a dimmer switch and a LED’s driver (power supply). When traditional bulbs like incandescent and halogen buzz, it is usually the filament vibrating that you hear.
Why are LED bulbs not dimmable?
Damage or failure – LED driver, circuit or LED is damaged or fails. Load below minimum – The power load of the LED lamp is below the minimum required by the dimmer. Mixed models- Different models of LED will likely have different drivers – since drivers behave differently this could result in dimming issues.
